NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week - No. 5

ĎA' standards propel Blucker and Dixon to weekly honors

April 16, 2014

By -, -

By Alan Grosbach, Manager of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Amy Blucker of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) has been named the NAIA National Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week and Zalika Dixon of Indiana Tech has been selected as the NAIA National Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week, the national office announced Wednesday. Blucker and Dixon were chosen based on their performances from April 7 – 13.

Blucker, a native of Galesburg, Ill., set school records in the shot put, hammer throw and discus at the Lee Calhoun Memorial Invitational, hosted by Western Illinois University, April 10 – 12 in Macomb, Ill. The sophomore’s shot put of 14.95m (49’-0.75”) not only bested a field of 19 athletes that included three NCAA Division I schools, but also is the top mark in the NAIA so far this season. Blucker also won an individual title in the discus with a season-best 45.14m (148’-1”) – eighth-best in the NAIA – and finished second in the hammer throw with a toss of 53.16m (174’-5”) – fourth-best in the NAIA. All three of the 2014 NAIA Indoor Track and Field All-American’s performances were automatic qualifiers for outdoor nationals.

Dixon, a senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., shined with three ‘A’ standard times at the Mason Spring Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division I George Mason (Va.), on April 12. She was the top collegiate finisher – second overall – in the 400-meter hurdles with an NAIA top-time of 58.34. Dixon also posted a second-place finish and a NAIA-best mark of 3:44.14 as a member of the Warriors’ 4x400-meter relay team. She finished the day with a lifetime best 14.31 – the fourth fastest time in the NAIA this season – in the 100-meter hurdles to place fifth.

For a complete look at the NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field performance list, click here.